History of the TLD

The .properties domain is a generic top‑level domain (gTLD) introduced under ICANN’s New gTLD Program in the mid‑2010s. It was delegated into the global Domain Name System to provide an industry‑specific namespace for real estate and property‑related websites. The extension became publicly available following standard launch phases including sunrise and general availability.

Main Use and Industry Position

.properties is positioned for use by real estate professionals, property managers, brokers, investors, agencies, developers, and related services. It signals a clear association with property markets, listings, and portfolio services, and is commonly used for property listings, investment pages, brokerage services, and property management websites.

Comparison to Other TLDs

Compared to legacy extensions such as .com and .net, .properties offers explicit semantic relevance for real estate and property services. It differs from broad generic TLDs by targeting a specific industry context. Unlike generic extensions such as .site or .info, .properties directly indicates property and real estate focus, similar to other industry‑centric gTLDs like .realestate.

Pros and Cons of the TLD

Pros

• Provides clear branding for real estate and property‑focused services

• Open registration without special restrictions, accessible globally to businesses and individuals

• Supports DNSSEC and privacy protection options through many registrars

Cons

• Less widely recognised by general audiences compared to traditional TLDs like .com

• Domain names may be longer due to the extension, which can affect memorability

• Pricing and premium tier names can vary significantly among registrars
  
  

Registration Criteria

Registration of a .properties domain is open to individuals and organisations without specific eligibility requirements. Domain names must comply with standard domain syntax rules, including allowable characters, length, and formatting as defined by global DNS standards.

Summary

.properties is a generic top‑level domain created to serve the real estate and property sectors. Available worldwide under an open registration model, it provides a meaningful namespace for property listings, brokerage services, property management platforms, investment portfolios, and related businesses. It supports modern DNS standards including DNSSEC and offers branding advantages for industry‑specific online presences.